A Different School
by Prospero Hibiki
Summary: Things have changed. The School of Anything Goes has changed hands ... but in a way no one has ever expected. It is the beginning of ... A Different School. THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE DARK DESPITE APPEARANCES!


A Different School  
  
a fic by Prospero Hibiki  
  
  
Disclaimer: Please don't stone me! I know it's wrong evil and cruel  
of me to do this, but I will anyway. THIS IS NOT A DARK FIC! REALLY!  
I SWEAR! These characters ain't mine and I'll return them I swear.  
I'm also not making any money from writing this and since I own  
nothing, all you'll get is debts.  
  
  
^_^;  
  
  
  
Prologue: Never Lost  
  
It was a dark day in the Nerima ward of Tokyo. The battles of  
the past two years had left the residents of the ward desensitized to  
the violence of their every day lives, and for the first time it was  
truly coming back to haunt them. The elite of the area called  
themselves martial artists and they were, but it had never occurred to  
them just what that meant. Until now. They understood now. They  
understood in a way that they had never thought they would. For Death  
had visited their own. Some of them had been called upon to make the  
ultimate sacrifice of a martial artist. And no one really knew how it  
had happened. All the people of Nerima knew was that three lawyers had  
arrived in Nerima this cold, dark day with three legal documents.  
  
The first will read was that of Khu Lon, Matriarch of the  
Joketsuzoku, and there were few surprises in it for she left almost all  
of her belongings to Xian Pu. To Mu Tzu she left a single ancient tome  
and a small bag, which the lawyers had brought with them. He'd looked  
up hurt, betrayed, and angry but when questioned he waved everyone away  
refusing to speak.  
  
Next Happosai's, Grandmaster of Anything Goes, lawyer read his  
will. Happosai's bequests startled everyone as he left enormous sums to  
a vast variety of people from all three Tendo sisters, Ms. Hinako, Ukyo,  
and an ever growing list of children ranging from twenty to several  
still as yet unborn. For twenty minutes his list of heirs grew to  
include land grants across the globe to orphanages and schools. As time  
passed people grew more and more stunned at Happosai's generosity.  
Nabiki silently swore as she realized she'd had no clue Happosai had had  
that much wealth and after the hundredth bequest of over one hundred  
million yen she passed out twitching on her cushion. As his will came  
to a close he included a large amount of money to be given to Taro whose  
name he had changed to Kazuma.  
  
As interesting as these two wills were, it was the third  
document that everyone had gathered together to here. For it had been  
three people that had departed Nerima on a previous day four months  
earlier. Three acknowledged masters of their art that had set out to  
defeat an evil that none had even realized existed until a short not had  
been left explaining why they had gone. And so the sight of this last  
will froze the hearts and souls of all present. For Ranma Saotome was  
dead.  
  
It was a short will for he hadn't owned much. What he did have  
went primarily to his fiancés in one form or another, mostly mementos of  
various fun times that had all had together. By the time most of those  
were allocated the girls were coming out of their shock and had to be  
excused. At the end there were only two remaining bequests to be made.  
"To Ryoga Hibiki, I leave the honor of my school. You have always been  
my best rival and pushed me harder than I could have ever pushed myself.  
Let it be said that Ranma Saotome never lost when it counted. This is  
the burden I leave to you, Ryoga. Let no one say Ryoga Hibiki lost when  
it counted." Ryoga was silent for a long time before he finally nodded.  
  
"To Genma Saotome, I leave a burden as well. Teach Ryoga Hibiki the  
ways of the Saotome School of Anything Goes. Do not let my school die  
with me and the master." Genma too was silent for a long time before he  
looked up. If anyone saw the redness around his eyes they were too  
polite to mention anything. He looked over at Ryoga and seemed to ask  
something with his glance. Ryoga returned it for several minutes before  
nodding once more.  
  
And so ended the life of Ranma Saotome, Grandmaster of Anything  
Goes, who never lost a battle when it counted. Even when it cost him  
everything.  
  
  



End file.
